How do I use BBC iPlayer Desktop?

When you click on the Download button, BBC iPlayer Desktop will start downloading. If you experience problems, please see this advice.

BBC iPlayer Desktop adds programmes in the order that you select to download them, with each programme having its own image if available.

• The progress bar will tell you how much it has downloaded as a percentage and how much time is remaining.
• Show information will expand the information on that particular programme - this is the same information that you can see on the Programme information page at BBC iPlayer. Click on Hide information to remove this.
• You can Pause download to postpone downloading, or Cancel download if you no longer wish to download it.
• When a programme is downloaded, it will say Ready to play through BBC iPlayer Desktop.

Once you have downloaded the programme you have 30 days to watch it and after you have played it for the first time you have another seven days to finish watching your programme. After the programmes have expired, they will be deleted automatically from your computer.

On rare occasions we have to withdraw programmes that have been published earlier. If so, the programme cannot be viewed anymore and it will be removed from your computer.

Playing programmes

You can switch to full-screen by double-clicking the video . You can return to the normal view by double clicking again or by pressing Esc. You can switch to the Downloads and Settings tabs and the video will keep on playing.

If you exit the application or start watching a different programme, the player remembers where you left and you can resume from exactly where you stopped watching.

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